Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

I can already picture a grin on my husband’s face. He can’t contain his excitement, will surely dive into it; hoping for a meaty, saucy bite only to end up finding a whole stash of produce hidden underneath. Reeaaally? Enticing, yes; deceiving, definitely! The facade of melted burnt cheese is too much to resist. He decides to partake in it anyway and then gives off an even brighter smile. (Just my luck… husbands are easier to please than boyfriends and that’s a fact)

Making vegetable lasagna for me is not a week night thing neither it needs a special occasion to prepare. It just happens to be one of those days when I want to, I guess, indulge. It is also an excellent way to use up your produce and still feel indulgent, because trust me it is what it is. Imagine those bulk of vegetables made fit into this pan, layers of cheese that go straight to your tummy. Almost too good to be true? Naaah, because you’re sharing it, saving it, or freezing then reheating it. Knock yourself out, it doesn’t get any better than this!

The list of ingredients and instructions for this dish may be a bit on the long side but don’t worry, if you’re organized and have enough time in your hands, all will be well. The results will not only satisfy your palate but will also make you proud of yourself. So go ahead, reward yourself with not just a slice, but a hefty one.

Preheat your oven at 400 degrees F and prepare your baking sheet for roasting vegetables. Slice squash, zucchini and eggplant into 1/8 inch thick and place them in separate bowls (no need to peel, unless preferred otherwise). Drizzle some olive oil, add 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, a pinch of salt and pepper in each bowl. Coat sliced vegetables evenly and place each kind on a baking sheet on a single layer , making sure they don’t overlap or crowd too much (you don’t want to steam the vegetables, instead you want to dehydrate them and concentrate the flavor). Roast it in the oven for about 15 minutes. Set aside when ready. When done roasting the vegetables, turn the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.

for the marinara sauce

In a saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add onions and garlic and cook for about 3 minutes. Add red bell pepper and cook for another 3 minutes. Pour in tomato sauce. Add dried oregano and basil. Add salt and pepper, adjusting to your taste. Let it come to a boil and set aside.

for the cheese filling

In a bowl, save a heaping cup of mozzarella cheese and half a cup of parmesan for later.

Wilt the spinach on a pan with a little bit of olive oil (I used baby spinach so I don’t get the stringy stems).

In another bowl, combine ricotta cheese, the rest of the mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Slightly beat the eggs and pour into the mixture. Add the spinach, nutmeg, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix well.

assemble

On the bottom of the dish, spread marinara sauce, just enough to cover the surface. Layer with lasagna noodles (note that the noodles expand as they cook). The cheese mixture goes next (about a cup and a half), spreading evenly. Layer the vegetable starting with the squash, then zucchini and eggplant. Spread the marinara sauce over. Repeat the layering – noodles, cheese mixture, vegetable filling and marinara sauce. Top with noodles, then add the remaining sauce and dollops of the remaining cheese mixture. Lastly, top it off with the mixture of mozzarella and parmesan cheese that was set aside. Bake for 35-40 minutes, uncovered (Check the cooking instructions of your no-boil lasagna). I left it uncovered the entire baking time to get the cheese browned the way I like it. This trick will also get rid of the extra wetness in the entire mixture. Let cool for about 15 minutes and indulge!

Slice squash, zucchini and eggplant into 1/8 inch thick and place them in separate bowls (no need to peel, unless preferred otherwise).

Drizzle some olive oil, add 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, a pinch of salt and pepper in each bowl.

Coat sliced vegetables evenly and place each kind on a baking sheet on a single layer and making sure they don’t overlap or crowd too much (you don’t want to steam the vegetables, instead you want to dehydrate them and concentrate the flavor).

Roast it in the oven for about 15 minutes. Set aside when ready.

When done roasting the vegetables, turn the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.

For the marinara sauce:

In a saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

Add onions and garlic and cook for about 3 minutes.

Add red bell pepper and cook for another 3 minutes.

Pour in tomato sauce.

Add the dried oregano and basil.

Add salt and pepper, adjusting to your taste.

Let it come to a boil and set aside.

For the cheese filling:

In a bowl, save a heaping cup of mozzarella cheese and half a cup of parmesan for later.

Wilt the spinach on a pan with a little bit of olive oil (I used baby spinach so I don’t get the stringy stems).

In another bowl, combine ricotta cheese, the rest of the mozzarella and parmesan cheese.

Slightly beat the eggs and pour into the mixture.

Add the spinach, nutmeg, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix well.

Assemble:

On the bottom of the dish, spread marinara sauce, just enough to cover the surface.

Layer with lasagna noodles (note that the noodles expand as they cook).

The cheese mixture goes next (about a cup and a half), spreading evenly.

Layer the vegetable starting with the squash, then zucchini and eggplant.

Top with noodles, then add the remaining sauce and dollops of the remaining cheese mixture.

Lastly, top it off with the mixture of mozzarella and parmesan cheese that was set aside.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, uncovered (Check the cooking instructions of your no-boil lasagna). I left it uncovered the entire baking time to get the cheese browned the way I like it. This trick will also get rid of the extra wetness in the entire mixture.

When I saw this recipe on Pinterst, I thought I must try this. It looked so good. I’ve never made a lasagna. I shopped for ingredients and prepared the recipe. Cook time for me was a little longer than I would’ve preferred. It took me 4 hrs, but your instructions with pictures were very helpful.

Theresa, It turned out great! Seasoning perfect! The first time using fresh thyme! Before this recipe, I thought I didn’t like eggplant. After roasting eggplant, I tasted and loved it! Just couldn’t stop eating the eggplant. The next time I cook this dish, I will purchase larger/wider veggies. Love it! Looking forward to trying other recipes on your site.

Hi there, Francine! I am so glad you liked it! I have to agree about the length of time spent making it. Roasting the vegetables (and slicing them thin) took some time as my oven isn’t big enough so I had to do it in batches, but it’s roasting them that makes the difference. And yes, eggplant is definitely delicious and versatile, too. Thank you for visiting my blog and trying out the recipe, I am so pleased. =)

Hi there, I suggest baking it halfway (or take it out of the oven about 15 min before it’s fully ready) then finish baking the next day when you need it. I’m afraid the uncooked pasta won’t like being soaked in there overnight. Good luck! =)